Former Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating will be named the recipient of the Rogers State University Constitution Award at a ceremony and luncheon on Wednesday, Oct. 15.
The ceremony and luncheon will be held at 12 noon in the Bushyhead Fieldhouse gymnasium.
Each fall since 1987, RSU has presented the Constitution Award to an Oklahoman who has demonstrated a strong commitment to the principles of the Constitution through his or her life’s work.
“We are proud and honored to present Governor Keating with this distinguished award,” said RSU President Dr. Larry Rice. “As a lifelong public servant, he has diligently guarded the principles of the U.S. Constitution and has advanced the well-being of the state of Oklahoma through his service as Governor.”
Past recipients of the RSU Constitution Award include Lee R. West, Lyle Boren, Fred Daugherty, Ross Swimmer, Carl Albert, William J. Holloway, Jr., Jenkin Lloyd Jones, Henry Bellmon, Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher, Patience Latting, Marian P. Opala, David Boren, Hannah Diggs Atkins, William J. Crowe, Jr., James O. Ellison, Alex Adwan, Thomas R. Brett, G.T. Blankenship, Charles Ford, Penny Williams and Gov. George Nigh.
Keating took over as president and CEO of the American Council of Life Insurers in January 2003 after serving two terms as Oklahoma’s governor.
As president and CEO of ACLI, Gov. Keating is the chief representative and spokesman for the life insurance industry in Washington, D.C., and all 50 state capitals. He and his staff work as advocates for nearly 400 life insurance companies that account for 93 percent of total industry assets, 91 percent of the life insurance premiums and 95 percent of annuity considerations in the United States.
He has played a leading role in promoting public policies to boost Americans’ retirement security and long-term savings. He regularly advocates on Capitol Hill and to the Bush Administration on the need to make Americans’ retirement security a national priority.
Born in St. Louis in 1944, Keating grew up in Tulsa. He received his undergraduate degree from Georgetown University and a law degree from the University of Oklahoma. His 30-year career in law enforcement and public service included stints as an FBI agent, U.S. Attorney and state prosecutor, and Oklahoma House and Senate member.
He served Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush in the Treasury, Justice and Housing departments. His service in Treasury and Justice gave him responsibility for all federal criminal prosecutions in the nation and oversight over such agencies as the Secret Service, U.S. Customs, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, U.S. Marshals, the Bureau of Prisons, and the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
In 1993 he returned to Oklahoma to run for Governor. He won a three-way race by a landslide and was easily re-elected in 1998, becoming only the second governor in Oklahoma history to serve two consecutive terms.
Gov. Keating won national acclaim in 1995 for his handling of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal building in Oklahoma City. In the aftermath of the tragedy, he raised more than 6 million dollars to fund scholarships for the nearly 200 children left with only one or no parents. His accomplishments as governor include winning a public vote on right-to-work, tort reform, tax cuts, major road building and education reform.
Gov. Keating serves on the boards of the National Archives Foundation and Mt. Vernon and is President of the Federal City Council, a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to improvement of the nation’s capital. He is seen frequently on the Fox News Channel as a commentator on a wide variety of topics.
He also is the author of two award-winning children’s books and biographies of Will Rogers and Theodore Roosevelt. He is the recipient of five honorary degrees.
Frank and his wife Cathy live in McLean, Virginia. They have three children and five grandchildren.
The Constitution Award ceremony and luncheon are sponsored by Jan Miller and the Bank of Commerce.
For more information, contact the RSU Foundation at (918) 343-7773.